API authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or application trying to access an API. Common methods include:
1. **API Keys**: Unique keys provided to users to access the API.
2. **Basic Authentication**: Uses a username and password encoded in Base64.
3. **OAuth**: A token-based authentication method that allows users to grant limited access to their resources without sharing credentials.
4. **JWT (JSON Web Tokens)**: A compact, URL-safe means of representing claims to be transferred between two parties, often used for stateless authentication.
5. **HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code)**: Uses a secret key to create a hash of the request, ensuring data integrity and authenticity.